Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £16,700 to £22,845
Excellent dynamics, good comfort, well-priced and equipped, good 2.0-litre engines, excellent NCAP crash test results
Not a lot, CVT gearbox/1.6 diesel engine combo isn't great
Stands up to scrutiny against any car in this class.
Just a few moments behind the wheel of a Focus is enough to realise that it's an excellent car to drive. Both enthusiast and non-enthusiast drivers appreciate the way a Focus goes down the road - its steering is exceptionally linear, accurate and uncannily stiction-free. Throttle, brakes, clutch and gearbox all have a satisfyingly positive, responsive action that even the clumsiest drivers will appreciate - it makes it easy to drive smoothly.
The new Focus certainly rides better than the old model. It's better damped so less intrusion reaches the cabin, although the steering column occasionally shivers over heavier bumps. The handling hasn't suffered as a result of its extra refinement, though. Sports suspension is available, but the ride isn't noticeably harsher with it, and in fact on lighter alloy wheels it can be at least as good as a standard Focus on regular wheels. Regardless of suspension setting, the Focus is extremely agile, but also stable at extremes should you misjudge your speed and, say, need to brake during a corner. In this case, stability control is also on hand to help out.
Four petrol and two diesel engines are offered in the Focus. Pick of the petrol bunch is the 1.6-litre Ti-VCT which has variable camshaft timing to give 113bhp and 110 lb-ft of torque at 4,150rpm. On the road, this engine feels livelier than the figures suggest.
Other engines include a wheezy 78bhp 1.4-litre, a 98bhp version of the 1.6-litre and a 143bhp 2.0-litre. This last unit really gives the chassis a chance to shine.
Of the two diesels, the 2.0-litre 134bhp TDCi unit is recommended for its ample 236lb-ft slug of torque available from a low 2,000rpm. It's fairly quiet, particularly when cruising, and the gearbox's ratios are well spaced.
We wouldn't recommend the 1.6-litre TDCi when mated to Ford's CVT continuously variable automatic gearbox. Its step-off from standstill is painfully lethargic, particularly when cold. The CVT's fully automatic mode shifts up and down laboriously, which makes for frustrating speed changes. There are seven pre-set ratios, which are easier to use, but if you're using them, you may as well have a normal auto 'box or perhaps even a manual.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Ford Focus
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